Delicacy

Delicacy
A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a region. Often this is because of unusual flavors or characteristics or because it is rare or expensive compared to standard staple foods.
Delicacies vary per different countries, customs and ages. Flamingo tongue was a highly prized dish in ancient Rome, but is not commonly eaten in modern times. Lobsters were considered poverty food in North America until the mid-19th century when they started being treated, as they were in Europe, as a delicacy. Some delicacies are confined to a certain culture, such as fugu in Japan, bird's nest soup (made out of swiftlet saliva) in China, and ant larvae (escamoles) in Mexico or refer to specific local products, such as porcino, venison or anchovy.
Examples of delicacies
Abalone (Bao Yu/Jeonbok/Awabi) – China; Taiwan; Korea; Japan
Akutaq – Alaska, United States; Northern Canada; Siberia
Alligator meat – Southern United States
Alici, from the Gulf of Trieste near Barcola – Italy
Babbouche - Morocco
Balut – Philippines
Biltong – Southern Africa
Bird's nest soup – China
Black-headed gull eggs – United Kingdom
Black sausage (Mustamakkara) – Finland
Bottarga – Mediterranean Basin
Boodog - Mongolia
Bourbon – Kentucky and Louisiana, United States
Casu marzu – Sardinia, Italy
Caviar – Russia; Azerbaijan; Iran
Cempedak – Indonesia; Malaysia; Southern Thailand
Champagne – Champagne region of France
Conpoy – China
Droëwors – Southern Africa
Durian – South-east Asia; China
East Asian giant salamander – China; Korea; Japan
Escamol – Mexico City, Mexico
Escargot – France
European edible dormouse – Croatia; Slovenia
Filet mignon – France
Foie gras – Périgord region of France
Fried-brain sandwich – Indiana, Ohio, and St. Louis, United States
Fried tarantula – Skuon, Cambodia
Fugu – Japan; Korea
Gyromitra esculenta – Scandinavia
Guinea pig – Bolivia; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru
Haggis – Scotland
Hákarl – Iceland
Huitlacoche – Mexico
Hutki Shira – Sylhet, Bangladesh
Iberian ham (Jamón ibérico) – Spain; Portugal
Ikizukuri – Japan
Jellyfish – East Asia; Southeast Asia
Karasumi – Japan
Kiviak – Greenland
Kobe beef – Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Kopi luwak – Indonesia
Kunga cake - Tanzania; Malawi; Mozambique
Lobster – Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, United States; The Maritimes, Canada; Sabah, Malaysia
Locust – Arabia; China; Israel; Jewish diaspora
Matsusaka beef – Matsusaka and Mie Prefecture, Japan
Moonshine – Scotland; Ireland; Appalachia
Mud Creeper – Malaysia; Vietnam
Ortolan bunting – France
Pickled cucumber – northern and eastern Europe
Quail eggs (including pickled quail eggs) – Brazil; Colombia; Denmark; Ecuador; Indonesia; Japan; Philippines; South Korea; Venezuela; Vietnam
Raw oysters – Malaysia; France; United States; Korea
Rocky Mountain oysters – Argentina; Canada; Mexico; Spain; United States
Scallops – Galicia, Spain; Japan;
Sea cucumber – East Asia; Southeast Asia
Sea urchin - East Asia, Southern Europe
Shark fin soup – China
Shiokara – Japan
Shirako (milt) – Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Romania; Russia; Sicily, Italy
Smalahove – Western Norway
Snail caviar – France; Poland
Snake soup – Guangdong, China; Hong Kong; Austria; France; United Kingdom; United States
Spiny-tailed lizard - Arabia
Surströmming – Sweden
Truffle – Caucasus; Middle East; Southern Europe
Tyrolean grey cheese – Austria
Weevil larvae - East Malaysia; Indonesia; Vietnam
Witchetty grubs - Australian aboriginees.
See also
Acquired taste
Chinmi – Includes a list of Japanese delicacies
Delicatessen
Shaxian delicacies – a style of cuisine from Sha County, Sanming, Fujian, China
Specialty foods
References
Works cited
Further reading
External links
Cuisine